Friday, July 31, 2009

I know I keep mentioning this (and I promise I'll stop talking about it soon), but I've been involved in a drawn-out moving process for the past month. You know how disruptive your life gets when you're moving. I only just saw some of my pots and pans for the first time, and I can't seem to remember to stop by the grocery store to pick up some milk for breakfast ... which brings me to my question for y'all today.

I'm sort of at a loss to name one myself. I prefer the bagel or lite breakfast sandwich at a coffeehouse kind of breakfast, which is surprisingly hard to find in this town. (Blackbird is good but too out of my way for a day at work.) I like a good trip to Pete's or Long's every so often but know better than to do that every single day.

So tell me, where should I be dining on weekday mornings while my world is still packed in boxes?

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Every year, Knox Heritage puts on an Art and Architecture Tour of a specific area in Knoxville. Last year it was of downtown (which I wrote about it in an embarrassing post that you can find in our archives).

This year, the tour is on September 4th in Fort Sanders, a wildly eclectic neighborhood full of juxtapositions. There will be two tours, one led by Jack Neely and the other by Steve Cotham.

Tickets for the tour are $60, which is steep, but the price you pay to have Jack Neely talk to you about old bricks and legendary Knoxvillians for an evening. Just kidding. The ticket price goes to support Knox Heritage and to help put on great events like this tour.

As much as I'd urge you to go on the tour, the point of this post is mainly to prompt you to go take pictures of historic buildings in Fort Sanders and submit them to Knox Heritage. From the submissions, a panel of judges will choose 13 photos that will be printed in the Knox Heritage 2010 calendar, and the subjects of those photos will be the stopping points of the tour. Also, winners go on the tour for free and Knox Heritage will matte and frame your print which will hang in the KMA for a few weeks.

Pretty sweet, huh? They've even pushed the deadline to August 6, so get out the door with that camera!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Lunching downtown offers many options, and as well as you think you may know your city, there always seem to be spots you've somehow missed.

Yesterday, I ate at Patins' Field of Greens and think I've found my new spot. They call themselves "quick gourmet" and offer an incredible selection of salads and sandwiches - I had a Caesar salad and my friend, a Chipotle sandwich - both, really good. <

The place is miniscule - operating out of a one-room building on Union Avenue - just around the corner from the Brewery. It has probably four tables total and is not much to look at, but give it a try next time you're looking for someplace new. You'll not be disappointed.

I think it's always especially nice to find a gem downtown that's not on Market Square or Gay St.

Monday, July 27, 2009

When I was in college I lived and studied for a year in Venice, Italy. Italy is famous for its gelato, and I certainly ate a lot of it that year. Italy and America have absolutely nothing in common when it comes to portion sizes, and I used to get a small (piccolo) gelati with 2 or 3 flavors for about a dollar. It was a very small portion served in a colorful little plastic cup with a similarly small and cute plastic little spoon (in the shape of a shovel).

I ate gelati all over Italy that year, but my favorite came from a little stand in Campo Santa Margherita in Venice, which was very close to my school.

That was 10 years ago, and no American gelateria I tried had ever come close to replicating true Italian gelato. I was content with that. It's Italian, right, so Italy should do it best. That was until Coolato Gelato came along. It opened about a month ago on Gay Street between the Regal Riveria and Tennessee Theatres, and it is absolutely fabulous. I mean, it's really, really good.

Gelato tends to be less fattening than ice cream (because it's made with milk, not cream) and a lot denser. Coolato Gelato has done a great job of featuring traditional Italian flavors like pistachio, hazelnut and stracciatella (chocolate chip), and they've also been pretty creative with Americanized flavors. They've got a really yummy banana pudding flavor, for example. It is the closest to Italian gelato I've ever had in the States. Since gelato is so dense, it's a lot more filling than it may look. A small is plenty for me. Small and medium sizes allow you to choose 2 flavors, and the large allows for 3. My favorite combo so far is pistachio and spicy chocolate. Delicious.

Coolato Gelato also serves a variety of desserts other than gelato and some great looking panini and appetizer plates. I haven't had any of the food yet because I always want gelato when I go, but everything looks delicious.

Some of the staff members sing Opera, and they got those cute little plastic cups and shovel spoons straight from Italy. It's such a cute little gem and the gelato is delicious, so I really hope to see this place thrive.

Friday, July 24, 2009

A while back, I heard about Veg-O-Rama. Then I noticed its presence on Central, a restaurant all dolled up inside, but devoid of customers. I'm not sure of the actual time line, but it seemed like it sat empy for a while, and rumors spread about its possible death before birth.

Now, after all the confusion and anticipation, I'm glad to say I finally ate there yesterday for a late lunch. I'm very happy to see it open, for the sake of my vegetarian friends and also, for the sake of North Knoxville. It's so cute, I might even become a vegetarian. (Not likely, but worth a shot)

I wasn't feeling very hungry, so I ordered a Greek Salad and cup of French Onion Soup, and my dining companion ordered the Tofu Reuben.

I've tried to like tofu in the past and never thought it was going to happen for me, until I tried Veg-O-Rama's Tofu Reuben. It was delicious. This may have been due to the fact that it was smothered in melted cheese and a tomato tahini sauce, but that's beside the point. I also tried my friend's side of potato salad which was really good as well.

My salad, on the other hand, was confusing- a Greek salad with all the usual ingredients, but with a lemon vinaigrette. My French Onion Soup was sweet, which was not bad, but as I mentioned during our Lindsay Beeson Bacon Cookie post, I don't like when salty things try to be sweet and vice versa. I just wanted my soup to be cheesy, hot, and salty, and it was not.

Even though my food wasn't as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be, I am a maturing optimist and realize Veg-O-Rama's potential. Supposedly the menu will keep a few staples but change items every now and then to provide even more vegetarian options for Knoxville.

In the categories of ambiance, service, and location, I thought Veg-O-Rama was wonderful. It even has a little bar in the back corner, from which they sell organic (and non-organic) wine and beer. The set-up of the restaurant reminded me of cafés in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, South Africa where I spent some time "studying" a few years back. This is a grand compliment as they were some of the most enjoyable places I've ever eaten.

So, vegetarian or not, please go get your veggie on at Veg-O-Rama. If you haven't been to that part of Central in a while, it's very up-and-coming and could be the location of great things for Knoxville's art and food scene. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Have you noticed Knoxville's new(ly revamped) busses? After taking these pics I finally realized that they really are just the same busses with a new paint job. Who new a little paint go do so much?

I was recently talking to a couple friends, and were discussing the old trolley lines that used to run down Gay St. (during the 100 block excavation they were exposed). This got the ball rolling on the "wouldn't it be great if Knoxville had a real trolley again" theme, and I do think that it would be awesome if that could happen.

However, once you start to do the math (in your head while drinking margaritas) you eventually come to the conclusion that busses are the answer - there's no expensive infrastructure required.

So, if busses are so great, why do so few people ride them in Knoxville? Now, before this discussion goes well beyond my area of expertise - I'm not going to talk about scheduling, routes or anything else. I will say that re-branding the bus line is the smartest (and cheapest) thing Knoxville could have done. Whether or not they actually are more efficient, the new design certainly induces more confidence than say ... the orange and teal mobiles.

So, I'm curious, what are your thoughts on the new image? fans and haters ... let's hear ya.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

I know that MG, CK and I have been traveling and working pretty heavily lately. B and MG just moved. And I think everyone else has been helping the Pol get his Mariah Carey fan blog up and running. So, we've been busy. But we've missed you!

Anyway, some readers may recall that I am involved with an awesome fitness program here in Knoxville called Operation Boot Camp. Operation Boot Camp was founded in Atlanta and interest and results quickly spread like wildfire: now there are camps throughout the country in places like Charlotte, San Jose and Knoxville.

We've been in Knoxville for almost two years now, and our campers continue to see amazing results. Many people return camp after camp because the program just works so well for them. I know that, personally, when I was struggling to stay fit and active in a desk job with long hours and heavy travel, Operation Boot Camp really revolutionized my day to day routine and truly helped me to feel great--and in great shape--every single day.

Operation Boot Camp is a 30 day fitness and nutrition program that meets daily (week days with some optional Saturday workouts) at Lakeshore Park, out at Lyon's View and Northshore Roads. Many Knoxvillians know and love Lakeshore Park. It's a beautiful, hilly little park with a 2.1 mile walking/running path, a soccer field and baseball diamonds. Operation Boot Camp utilizes the entire park during our workouts. Sometimes we do field workouts, sometimes we hit the trail and run. Our workouts are always a diverse and fun mix of cardio and strength. We truly mix it up, and it's never boring because no workout is the same. Along with the workouts, campers are giving guided nutritional advice throughout the month. At the end of a month long camp, we've seen campers knock 5 to 8 minutes off their mile run times; and of course we've seen countless campers just become happier and healthier and so very excited about how they look and feel.

I'm passionate about the program, and I have often invited blog readers to attend our monthly Bring a Friend Day workouts and other (free) weekend trial workouts. And that's what I'm doing again today.

Our monthly Bring a Friend Day workout is tomorrow, Thursday, and I would like to invite the Wigshop readers to attend. We have two camps that meet at Lakeshore: 6am and 7:15am. Workouts are a very fun, intense 45 minutes. That's not a lot of time, so we really work you while we've got you. Will the workout be challenging? Certainly. But it's extremely doable and accommodating across fitness levels. At the end of the workout, you'll probably be tired, but I suspect you'll also feel invigorated and proud of what you've just accomplished. If you would like to attend one of the two workouts, you just need to come about 20 minutes early to meet the instructors and get signed in. So for the 6am workout, please meet at the Lakeshore Park Soccer Pavilion at 5:40am and for 7:15 am, meet at the same place at 6:50. If you would like further driving directions, I can try to provide them if you leave a comment.

At Operation Boot Camp, we utilize what the park provides for our workouts. The picture above is an example: why not use the park benches available for some great, triceps burning dips?

Like I said, I am very passionate about this program. There are other fitness programs out there, and I am not discrediting any of those. But this program provides real results if you put in the work; and its instructor staff is the friendliest, most enthusiastic and caring group of men and women out there. I linked to the official web site, where you'll find rates and times, above. I also maintain a blog for the Knoxville camps. Hoooaah!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Sorry for the light blogging around here lately. As you may be aware B and I have been moving into our new place in Fourth and Gill, so the free time has been scarce. I spent Saturday moving the bulk of my stuff to the new place (the one that's requiring B and I to take up lawn care as a hobby), leaving behind West Knoxville, which I've called home for nearly two years now.

Despite the impression the Wigshop may have given you, I actually kind of like West Knoxville. Sure, there's plenty not to like such as the traffic on Kingston Pike between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., but there's something to be said for the comforts and conveniences that line Kingston. There's plenty of character to be had in the heart of Bearden, albeit character I couldn't always afford.

Still, the front porches and sidewalks of North Knoxville and the prospect of living with B lured me away from the west side. I love our new home, but there are a few things I will miss about the old one. Like seeing the Arby's sign at night as I either crested Bearden Hill or rounded the corner at Papermill. It's been like a beacon to me. When I would see the call of delicious roast beef after a long day on the job or a late night out, I knew I was nearly to my Deane Hill home. I've yet to discover a similar beacon for my new home.

None of the other cities I've lived in had the gigantic Arby's hat signs, so the Arby's hat to me means Knoxville.

Thanks for being a good home for the past two years, West Knoxville. I promise not to be too much of a stranger.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Traveling home along central at 12:30 last night I saw something that surprised and intrigued me.

What looked like a troop of renegade bicyclists terrorizing an empty parking lot, actually was an organized sporting event typically consigned to trust-fund babies.

There is apparently an underground bike polo scene in this city that needs out attention. How on earth could this go on, under our noses, without any of us noticing it? What other sports do people play in this town that are done only in the dark of night away from prying eyes? Is there a group of hooded cricketers out in Sequoyah? Do squash players break into the Y at 2 AM to satisfy their need for a more cultured for of racquetball?

Please, if anyone out there knows about this polo group or any other not-so-illicit late night sports we at the Wigsphere would love to know about them.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Friday is upon is, it's been a long work week, and it's a beautiful day. Sounds like a recipe for happy hour.

By and large, Knoxville bars and restaurants offer amazing happy hour specials. We've got plenty of places that boast half-off wine nights, half priced appetizers and other cheap treats. And in the Twitter age, many local spots have been taking their promotions to the web, offering special deals and tips to their online followers. With this in mind, I hope to feature some great happy hour spots with some semi-regularity on this blog.

Like I said, I've had a very long week. I've got a friend coming to visit for the weekend, and I think I'll take her to one of my most favorite happy hour spots: Sapphire. Located at 428 South Gay Street (next to Downtown Grill and Brewery), Sapphire is known as downtown Knoxville's modern bar and restaurant.

Modern is a good word. Possibly, so is trendy. I suppose Sapphire is slightly upscale, though its standard prices certainly aren't astronomical; and you wouldn't feel out of place in jeans. I might describe it as a scene, or a place that people would want to go to see and be seen. But I don't mean that in a bad way. Sapphire is a really fun, clean, aesthetically pleasing place. It's definitely got a vibe. On weekend nights after say 9pm, it tends to be a little loud and crowded for my taste, but it is the perfect place for a relaxed, low key, delicious happy hour.

If it's nice out like it is today, I always try to get there early to snag one of the 4 or 5 patio tables. I love people watching on Gay Street, and there's always something going on around the 400 block. If those tables are already taken, the bar tables are just as comfortable.

The goods:

I don't have a complete list of Sapphire's happy hour deals, but here's what I do know. Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 (I believe), you can get 5 dollar mojitos and 5 dollar liquor drinks. House wines (decent labels, too) are on special and so are the beers. It's either every day or at least one day a week that all martinis are 5 dollars as well. Appetizers (minus a few select items) are half priced and so are all the maki sushi rolls. Somewhere along the way, Sapphire has developed a really good sushi menu. The eel, cream cheese and seaweed salad Garden Snake, which is not offered at happy hour price, is my favorite roll and still worth it at 8 dollars. And there are plenty of great, half-priced maki rolls to choose from.

I have never ordered off the dinner menu at Sapphire, but the entrees look like the sort of unique dishes that any foodie would love.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good dive bar and a relaxed time with friends, but I also love Sapphire's happy hour because it's well attended but never overly crowded. I'm almost always guaranteed to run into someone I know, and I can get a good chilled vodka martini for 5 bucks. Where a few years ago I would have described the service as tedious, something has changed more recently and the servers are friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. Now I'm just waiting for the day that my sweetheart will purchase me the Sapphire Martini: Bombay Sapphire garnished with a 2.25 carat sapphire. That one's not priced for happy hour.

Thursday, July 09, 2009

I've had several people tell me both before and since my barbecue quest began that M&M Catering would satisfy my every need for pulled pork 'cue. Before I started the quest, I made plans several times to head out Middlebrook and see if they were correct, but my plans kept getting derailed. After I started the quest I decided to hold off on visiting M&M until I'd visited several other places first. If M&M really was as satisfying as they claimed it was then I didn't want the rest to be judged based on my experience there.

That plan got completely derailed when a wedding I attended a few weeks ago (in which the groom was also a barbecue snob from Memphis) served M&M as the reception fare. I knew then that M&M had to become a regular feature in my life.

But to be fair, I knew a trip to the M&M establishment was in order, so The Pol, B, CK and a few of our friends made an event out of it last Friday as a kick off to the holiday weekend. Here are two things I've learned about M&M lately: 1. It's not where it used to be -- they picked up and moved down Middlebrook a ways; 2. It's another take it and go place but without the benefit of picnic tables like at F.A.T.S. or Dixson's.

photos by The MG

I knew something was right when we pulled up and I counted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ... 8!!! smokers!!! Granted, it was the day before the largest barbecue consumption day of the year, but I choose to believe they ALWAYS have eight smokers smoking like a good barbecue place should. It wasn't all for pork, they had some tasty, meaty lookin' chicken wings going too.

Y'all, believe me when I say: this is real pulled pork barbecue. It's chunky and tender and just the right kind of smoky and flavorful. It goes down so well, aided by your choice of sweet or spicy barbecue sauces. (I tried the sweet, and it was just what I wanted). It is what my life has been missing since moving back to this city.two of the eight smokers

Between the five of us we had beans, slaw, mac and cheese, potato chips, lemonade and fruit tea. The beans were good in a very unassuming way. They weren't spicy or overly sweet. They didn't have chunks of things in them. They were your classic baked beans. The slaw I gather was standard. The mac and cheese was thick and gelatanous, but in a good way. I'm guessing there weren't any complaints about the standard-issue chips. The lemonade and fruit tea were basically sugar with a side of liquid. (On the flip side, M&M sells all kinds of bottled options INCLUDING COKE ZERO, which is awesome).

Also, CK finally sampled his first Knoxville pig burger. I'll let him do his own review of that, but my preview is this: it looked like meatloaf.

I was a little miffed that M&M didn't at least have a picnic table outside to sit at, though the search for a picnic table took us Wigshoppers on an amusing trek through the Cedar Bluff area. Still, I'm about 99.9 percent certain it's going to be the ultimate winner of BBQ Quest. I won't conclude the quest just yet as no barbecue in this town will go unsampled by The MG, but please accept my recommendation of M&M.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

As a proud native East Tennessean and someone who attended Sundown in high school, I have to say the series is a great part of downtown. I hate that people don't patronize the local joints. If they do, sometimes they don't tip well or at all. It is frustrating. I have close friends who work down there and I hear about it. I also hate that Market Square is covered with trash every Thursday night. But that comes with any public event: Christmas parades, football, 4th of July festivities, etc. People litter. People can be cheap. Period.

I wonder if there is some way to create more awareness about those two things without calling people names, stereotyping them, or sending them away. That approach, as you may have seen in our comments section, is not healthy. Nor do I like it at all. The people that attend Sundown are eclectic and I feel like they represent a cross-section of the community in which we all live. The more the merrier.

I liked those "Don't throw down on K-town" stickers that surfaced a couple of years ago. I wonder if there could be some "Don't throw down on Sundown" kind of campaign that would make people aware that if they are being served it is customary to tip. Don't throw down on our servers, etc. Be good patrons y'all. Another part would encourage people to keep each other accountable for picking up their trash. There are a gazillion trash and recycling bins around the square. It isn't that hard to pick up your stuff (if you even sat it down in the first place) and put it in the proper bin. Be good citizens y'all.

Monday, July 06, 2009

The Modern Gal and I have recently moved into the 4th and Gill neighborhood. It's a sweet little area, and the people nearby are really nice and friendly.

Along with a big old musty house to clean and take care of, I, for the first time in my life, live in a place where I'm partially responsible for maintaining the yard. MG doesn't seem worried about this, but just the thought of lugging out the mower each week makes me tired. I have a slight aversion to household tasks that require continuous attention (and do not live, breathe, and look like a cat.)

But, on the 5th, I mustered up the motivation to go out and mow the lawn when a friend of mine told me I could not mow on a Sunday. This seemed hard to believe, but when I perked up my ears, I didn't hear the faintest sound of nearby neighbors doing yard work.

Considering my conservative upbringing, I kind of like the idea of reserving one day of peace and quiet for you and your neighbors, but I'm skeptical of this unwritten rule. Or is it written?

Would any of you homeowners care to fill me in on the big, wide world of yard maintenance?

Well, it's the end of an era in the Old City as well as my life. A place I've come to love is shutting down. It's not news to most of you since Knoxnews broke it a few weeks ago. Even Jack Neely wrote a lovely little eulogy for it last week. What is this place arouses so much furor?

Few places in this city offer a place to get out of the house, sit down, and really relax. Not in a perched on a bar stool drinking too much beer talking loudly to friends over the band relaxing (which is needed sometimes too) but a comfortable leather chair reading The Economist blowing smoke rings in the afternoon sunlight listening to jazz kind of relaxing.

Knox Cigar has been a fixture in the Old City since the 90s, surviving the bust of the original Centennial revitalization well into the current upswing. I first got into fine tobacco after college, and found the shop one happy evening while walking through town. Back then they only sold tobacco, but after a few years they moved a few doors down and opened bigger shop with a conjoined bar. Now one could have a Boddington's with his afternoon smoke. So much the better.

There were missteps on how the new venture was set up, but seeing the shop and bar full of people every night assured me things must be alright. Apparently they weren't. Even though the owners would have you believe the current economy is the cause of the closing, word on the street is that the business was run into the ground. I suppose that one can do whatever one wants with one's business ventures, but this just seems like a stupid waste to me.

Luckily, management issues aside, there is a demand for a fine tobacco establishment in Downtown. Down in Knox Cigar's old shop space a sign has gone up. "Old City Cigar Coming Soon." The venerable Smokin' Joe's (on Papermill) is trying its hand in the downtown market. As some of you may know, Joe's is a converted gas station with a good selection but short on atmosphere (as in none). We'll see if they can set up a more sophisticated business with the je ne sais quoi to make it work. Also in the wings is another tobacco shop venture which I'm not at liberty to write about here right now, but if it moves forward you'll likely find me down there on sunny afternoons. Here's hoping.

Well, Knoxville Cigar, thanks for the memories. Thanks for teaching me to slow down and smell the cigar smoke. I'll miss ya.

Saturday, July 04, 2009

Just a quick note to those thinking of attending The Market Square Farmers Market today. Old City Java in conjunction with Lindsay Beeson Productions will be selling ... wait for it: BACON COOKIES. You heard it right folks, Lindsay has been making the chocolate chip and bacon concoctions for a while now, and today they'll be at the Farmers Market.

By the way, Miss Beeson mentioned to me how she thinks the pre-baked fellers below look like an army of little princes with bacon crowns. I like where this girl's head is at. \Come on down, and start the 4th off right indulging in America's love with overindulgence - she's selling them by the box.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Just before we all head out on this long (though I'm working the third) weekend make sure and note that there are quite a few happenings around our glorious bastion of liberty.

First, tonight is First Friday.

All the usuals should be considered, please reference previous posts such as this and maybe this.

Second, tomorrow is the Fourth.

Of course the city will be doing the usual fireworks and get together on Worlds Fair Park and there will be the farmers market, but there are a few other thing for grown ups to make sure and consider.

HQ, or as some call it the sunsphere, will be putting on 4th festivities starting at 5pm. If you're one of the first 50 there is no cover and you can enjoy the snacks for free and get at the cash bar. After that, it's a $10 cover, but both the 5th and 6th floors will be open for your imbibing pleasure. (Max # of peeps is 158, so come early if you want to watch the show from there)

Also, Crown and Goose is being oh so American by providing cheap beer and BBQ all day. $2 pints of British ale. Go by and give your condolences to those who still live under a monarchy, because hey we won.

knoxville stuff:

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